Wells Enterprises Marks Next Chapter of Dunkirk Facility Transformation with Opening of New Employee Center and Production Expansion

• Wells Enterprises completes two of four phases in multi-year facility transformation, celebrating the opening of its state-of-the-art employee center
• Ribbon cutting event attended by Empire State Development, other County and Community leaders, and Wells Enterprises employees
• The $425 million transformation moment marks progress on one of Chautauqua County’s largest private investments
• When completed, the 350,000 sq ft facility will have the ability to produce around 20 million cases of product annually, 5x previous capacity, supporting new innovations to meet consumer demand

DUNKIRK, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wells Enterprises, a leading U.S. ice cream manufacturer and part of the Ferrero Group, celebrated a major milestone in its Dunkirk facility transformation with a ribbon cutting for its new, best-in-class employee center and production expansion. The event highlighted the company’s continued investment in its people, products and the local community bringing together New York State leadership, County and Community leaders, company leaders and employees to recognize the achievement.

Specifically, the milestone marked the completion of the first two phases of the $425 million facility’s state-of-the-art transformation. Headlining the event was the company’s meaningful investments in employee experiences, highlighting the highly anticipated employee amenities in a brand-new, three-story center. The new building, replacing an over 75-year-old structure, now includes updated breakrooms, cafeteria space, training rooms, offices and additional resources designed to support the team members who power Wells’ operations.

“This celebration reflects the people, partnerships and shared commitment shaping the future of Wells Enterprises in Dunkirk,” said Nicolas Neykov, Chief Operating Officer at Wells Enterprises. “As we mark this next chapter of growth, we recognize our teams who are the heart of Wells. This transformation is more than an investment in equipment but reflects our commitment to supporting our skilled team with the resources needed to make the best ice cream and bring more joy to our consumers.”

In addition to the new employee center, the event also celebrated the start-up of new production lines and capabilities that began late last year, including a first-of-a-kind Segregated Compound Facility. Combining Wells’ ice cream manufacturing heritage with Ferrero’s global confectionary leadership, the one-of-a-kind chocolate manufacturing facility is the only Ferrero facility of its kind in the U.S. and creates new capabilities for long-term category growth and future innovation. The plant also uses new proprietary technology and highly customized capabilities to meet rigorous standards and keep quality at the forefront of every cone, cup, pint and more.

“This milestone for Wells Enterprises reflects tremendous progress as one of the largest private investments in Chautauqua County as the company transforms its Dunkirk facility into a high-tech, world-class manufacturing operation while retaining and creating strong careers for local residents for generations to come,” said New York Governor Kathy Hochul.

Brad Galles, Chief Manufacturing and Engineering Officer at Wells Enterprises, added, “We are grateful for the continued support of the State of New York, Empire State Development, Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency and the City of Dunkirk as we build on our strong foundation in the region. We look forward to continuing this journey in building this state-of-the-art operation that is vital to our manufacturing network on the East Coast.”

Wells Enterprises purchased the Dunkirk facility in 2019 and broke ground in 2024 on the multi-year, multi-phase transformation. This milestone marks the completion of Phases 1 and 2, including new infrastructure to support initial production lines, freezer capacity, the chocolate facility and the new employee center. Phase 3, which is currently underway, will add more production lines, while Phase 4 will expand processing capabilities, including raw materials. The full transformation is expected to be completed in 2028 and is expected to add 270 permanent jobs over the course of the next several years, while retaining existing roles. Once finished, the 350,000-square-foot facility will be capable of operating 11 to 15 production lines and producing an estimated 20 million cases annually, up from 4 million cases previously.

To learn more about Wells Enterprises, visit: wellsenterprisesinc.com.

About Wells Enterprises, Inc.

Wells Enterprises, Inc. is the largest privately held ice cream manufacturer in the United States. Founded in 1913 and headquartered in Le Mars, Iowa — recognized as the Ice Cream Capital of the World — the company produces more than 200 million gallons of ice cream per year and distributes products across all 50 states. Wells is a part of the Ferrero Group, manufacturing its signature brands Blue Bunny^®, Halo Top^®, Bomb Pop^®, and Blue Ribbon Classics^®, along with several leading brands owned by Ferrero.